Inspector Majors and Firefighter Rowe of the Boston came to Mrs. Haney's first grade class to teach the kids about fire safety. The kids also knew a lot already (Matches and lighters, for example, are not toys!) but it never hurts to have a review.What do you do if you wake up in bed at night and there's smoke in your room?
Get down on the ground! Smoke rises so the safer, cleaner air is below.
You're scared. Do you want to hide?
No! You don't go under the bed or in the closet. You try to get out and if you can't you go to the safest place, said the firefighters, and wait for us to find you.
But what do you try first?
You crawl to the door and feel the knob with the back of your hand. If it isn't hot, you SLOWLY open it and peek to see if there isn't any fire and try to get out. Then go to the safe meeting place your family has set up so they know where you are.
What if it's hot?
You crawl to the window and open it.
Do you jump out?
Not if you're up high, says Inspector Majors, you might break the ground! You yell for help and wave a sheet or pillow case to show where you are.
And yell loud, adds Firefighter Rowe. Fires are noisy--our radios are squawking; wood might be crackling, glass shatters.
Then Firefighter Rowe showed the kids what he does when he goes into a burning building. First thing is to look for people. If he cannot see, he walks into a room, keeping his hand on the wall so he doesn't get lost. Then he steps out to feel for a bureau or bed, remembering what he must do to find his way out. He feels all around, for example, on a bed then under it. Sometimes he finds pets down there and takes them out.
If he feels a person, he puts them up on his big shoulder...
and carries them to safety!
Then Firefighter Rowe put on his firefighting gear, while Inspector Majors explained all the tools and gadgets they had to do their jobs.
This is what we look like when we're coming to help you," Firefighter Rowe added. "So don't be scared and hide when you see us because we're there to save you."
The last advice the kids got was a way to save themselves if their clothes ever caught fire. "Just remember," said Inspector Majors, as he had someone demonstrate each step, "stop, drop, and roll."
After the last bit of advice came one more thing--presents! The kids got fire safety coloring books and hats. The best present of all? Inspector Majors promised he'd come again.
